​ In a first, water rationing in Nainital this winter

Nainital: In a first in Nainital, the civic administration has started water rationing in winter as well due to the alarming rate of decline of the water level in Naini lake, which is the sole source of water for the residents. As part of the water rationing initiative &mdash; which was first started in the summer of 2015 &mdash; supply is now being made to different localities in the town at different times of the day. According to the irrigation department, the authorities have decided to implement the water supply rotation scheme in winter too, as the water level in the lake is &ldquo;declining at the rate of 1.25 inches a day.&rdquo; With the new initiative, the irrigation department hopes to limit the fall to 0.5 inch a day and bring down the consumption to 12.5 million litres per day (MLD) from the current 14 MLD, said an official. If rationing is not done now, the water level in the lake will touch &lsquo;zero&rsquo; mark (normal level) in February itself, said the official. 'Zero' mark is usually reached in March-end or the first week of April. The measurement scale is installed at the southern end of the water body, known as Tallitaal. The water level and the depth of the lake are measured using the 'zero' mark as base. At present, the water level in the lake is 6 ft above the &lsquo;zero&rsquo; mark. &ldquo;We have started water rationing on Tuesday, and hope to conserve water. With the supply rotation system, we hope to limit the fall in the water level in Naini lake to 0.5 inch per day,&rdquo; said Sunil Tiwari, executive engineer of Jal Sansthan. Last summer, the water level plunged to a record low of 18 ft below normal or 'zero' mark. During peak summers when tourist flow is also the highest, consumption of water touches 18 million liters per day (MLD), while in winters, the demand remains at 14 MLD if rationing is not done. The district administration had last month convened a meeting in this regard, in which various measures were recommended following reports of the rapid fall in the water level of the lake. Vishal Singh, senior research scholar and executive director of Centre for Ecology Development and Research (CEDAR), said, &quot;The water extraction limit of the lake has already been surpassed, and the latest water rationing initiative by the authorities is a welcome short-term regulatory step. It is imperative that medium and long-term solutions such as rainwater harvesting, conservation of recharge zones and rejuvenation of spring sheds are immediately sought as part of organic measures for sustainability of the lake.&quot; Delta-like structures emerge at the borders of the lake due to below normal water level in summers. Debris and silt deposition at the base of the lake hampers the natural course of slow drainage through underground micro canal-like structures. In 2012, a petition was filed in the high court seeking a direction to make Nainital an 'eco-sensitive zone' and to conserve Sukhataal area which contributes nearly 40% of the lake recharges. However, the petition has been withdrawn by the petitioner recently. &quot;I have filed an application in the honorable high court. The rationing system is good as short-term solution but for long-term solution, there's still a long way to go for preservation of the lake,&quot; said activist Ajay Singh Rawat (68), the petitioner.